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Most congested cities revealed

Chris Ames

20 February 2017

The UK is the fourth most congested developed country in the world, according to traffic data company INRIX.

The INRIX 2016 Traffic Scorecard analysed 1,064 cities across 38 countries and found the UK to be the third most congested country in Europe, with traffic jams costing the average motorist £968 a year.

UK drivers spend an average of 32 hours a year in congestion during peak hours and the direct and indirect costs of congestion to all motorists amount to £30.8bn.

‘The cost of this congestion is staggering, stripping the economy of billions, impacting businesses and costing consumers dearly. To tackle this problem, we must consider bold options such as remote working, wider use of road user charging and investment in big data to create more effective and intelligent transportation systems.’

The UK’s 10 Most Congested Cities/Large Urban Areas

City Peak Hrs in Congestion % of Drive Time in Congestion Cost/Driver Cost to City

1 London 73 12.7% £1,911 £6.2bn

2 Manchester 39 9.9% £1,136 £233m

3 Aberdeen 35 12.3% £1,331 £138m

4 Birmingham 34 8.5% £990 £407m

5 Edinburgh 31 9.8% £1,009 £225m

6 Guildford 29 8.6% £812 £44m

7 Luton 29 10.7% £964 £72m

8 Bournemouth 27 10.8% £1,019 £84m

9 Hull 27 9.4% £970 £109m

10 Bristol 27 8.8% £845 £154m

London is by far the UK’s most congested city and the second most congested in Europe (behind Moscow but ahead of Paris), with the capital’s drivers spending an average of 73 hours in traffic during peak hours.

According to INRIX, this costs London drivers £1,911 each – nearly double the national average.

The top five most congested roads in the UK are in London, with the worst being the A406 Northbound from Chiswick Roundabout to Hanger Lane.

Major cities in Scotland are high in the UK ranking, with Aberdeen and Edinburgh placing third and fifth respectively. Manchester, and Birmingham are the UK’s second and fourth most congested cities, with drivers in Manchester spending 39 hours in congestion during peak hours.